A Glimpse into What God is Teaching Me

There are so many things going on in my head and heart recently, so I wanted to put a few of them out there. There may be some “stream of consciousness” style going on here, but I’m just trying to put it all on one page and see a big picture emerge. I’ve been using the NLT (New Living Translation) for my personal reading recently and it’s been a joy to read and see things in a fresh way. So, the passages quoted below are from the NLT (underlining is mine).

Proverbs 4:23-27 says, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.”

Proverbs 6:6 says, “Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise!” And verse 8 says, “They labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter.”

Proverbs 11: 16 says, “A gracious woman gains respect, but ruthless men gain only wealth.” And verses 24-25 say, “Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything. The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.”

Proverbs 31 speaks of the capable woman. She is trustworthy (v. 11), rises early, cooks, and plans ahead (v. 15), is “energetic and strong, a hard worker” (v. 17), works late into the night (v. 18), “extends a helping hand to the poor and open arms to the needy” (v. 20), and even sews (v. 21-22). “She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future” (v.25). She watches her mouth (v. 26), her pocketbook (v. 27), and her children (v. 28). And most importantly, she “fears the Lord” (v. 30).

My Notes:

I’m in school to become a personal trainer, so no surprise that a future career change is in my future. And though it’s exciting, every transition comes with a risk. I’ve been working at the same company for five years, have pretty decent benefits and enjoy what I do. I also love the people I work with! Change is scary, but it’s inevitable (though I’m not exactly sure when yet). So the verse about keeping my eyes focused and not getting sidetracked is something I need to keep before me.

Long term goal? I want to be able to work part time from my home as a personal trainer or life coach (may even write for a Nutrition or Fitness magazine or website), publish my own cookbook, and be a stay-at-home wife and mom. All in good time. I know, I know, I’m not getting any younger, but you’re only as young as you feel. And I feel about … 23 (even though I’m almost 6 years older than that). I’m taking care of myself and I believe God is in complete control. So, don’t worry, we want kids. But we want them in God’s timing. So, if it happens, it happens, and if it doesn’t,…I would love to adopt! All I’m saying is I don’t know exactly what God has in store, but we have some desires, and we believe those to be God-given, so we’re taking steps to get to the goals we think He has for us.

Another long term goal is to help with a church plant somewhere. There’s a church in Colorado that’s just starting up and we have several friends that either are already out there helping it or are moving soon. We’d love to be a part of this, but we know that 1. we need to find jobs, 2. we need to sell our house, and 3. we need to be content until God says go.

For now, I’m in school. After this semester, we’ve decided that I’m going to try to do the self-study method to get my personal trainer certification. Eyes on the prize: certification! As another step in the process, I’d love to work part-time for a gym and learn the ropes of running a fitness studio under a certified trainer. So, is Colorado a possibility? Sure, but not for another year or so, most likely. If I can find a job in a gym and get one year under my belt while getting certified, that will help me find a fitness job if we get to move. And if we don’t move, then I still want to work for a personal trainer while becoming one myself. God knows. He’s had it all mapped out long before we were ever born.

Meanwhile, my personal goals are to 1. be a godly woman (which means focusing on God first and foremost, watching my mouth, watching our money, planning ahead, and being as generous as we can be), 2. be a fit wife (physically fit and one that nurtures my husband), and 3. become a certified trainer. If I focus on a heart that pleases God, I honestly believe the rest will fall into place. So, I choose not to fear the future, but instead to “laugh” and fear God instead of fearing the future, like the woman in Proverbs 31. I choose to be joyful, gracious, and generous. And though my steps may falter along the way, God has prepared my steps and will continue to guide us each and every day.